DIGHTON — Under Dusty’s protection, a rare species is thriving at the county’s agricultural high school.

A crop of 18 lambs born with genetic abnormalities all trace their Bay State lineage back to a small, wobbly-legged forbearer named Maverick.

Maverick’s two siblings died at birth.

The lone survivor from a set of triplets, he was the first of a new population of a rare, endangered mutant species of sheep born at Bristol County Agricultural High School in 2011.

His future seemed bright. For a short period of time, however, the school was without a guard llama.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have Maverick anymore,” said Animal Science Department Chair Leslie Blanchette. “Maverick was attacked by a coyote.”

The school’s old llama died of cancer, and a replacement had yet to be found.

Large, woolly beasts watch over their smaller, woolly ancestors in the farmyards of Bristol Aggie.

“They’ll spit and kick,” Blanchette said. “The llama we have now is very good. He’s very friendly to people, but does a great job protecting our livestock.”

Dusty is the school’s current resident llama. From his pasture, he watches over the farm’s shorter and less feisty residents.

The sheep population at Aggie produced 36 lambs in the past year. Of those, 18 are classified as pure-bred California Variegated Mutant, Blanchette said.

The breed, commonly referred to as CVM, is coveted by both wool and meat-lovers.

“They’re great, because they’re a wool breed and a meat breed,” Blanchette explained. “They produce a very fine wool, which we hear is great for people who spin.”

Their hides often exhibit unique color patterns.

Three students, all small animal majors — Victoria Stephenson of Middleboro, Kristen Raposa, 19, of New Bedford, and Lori Carlos, 18, of Berkley — each picked up a CVM lamb. Each lamb had its own pattern and its own personality. One at a time the critters bleated at each other, flashing their tongues and kicking at the girls.

According to the American Romeldale/CVM Association website, “CVM” actually refers to the color patterns found in mutations of the “Romeldale type” of sheep — a term used for a “badger-faced pattern.”

“Glen Eidman, a partner of J.K. Sexton, in the 1960s discovered in his purebred Romeldale flock a multi-colored, badger faced ewe,” according to the CVM Association. “Two years later, a twin ram with the same badger face pattern was born. When bred with the original ewe, the resulting offspring were of the same badger markings. Subsequent breedings and additional mutations from his Romeldale flock resulted in the California Variegated Mutant.”

Page 2 of 2 - Eidman reportedly spent the next 15 years developing the breed, keeping them all to himself. Ultimately, though, they were spread to a carefully chosen group of breeders.

“In 1982 the CVM flock, which numbered 75, was sold,” according to the association. “They were dispersed among a dozen different buyers throughout California. Since then, CVMs have been kept purebred in only a few flocks, while in others, they have been crossed with other breeds.”

Several years ago, Bristol Aggie faculty drove to Maine to pick up the school’s first CVM sheep.

“They’re extremely rare and are on the critically endangered registry,” Blanchette said in 2011, referencing the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy list, on which the breed was deemed “critical” because it had less than 200 annual registrations with the ALBC and less than 2,000 animals worldwide.

The lamb is still rare, but thanks to breeding programs like those at Bristol Aggie, the population is surviving.

The school is the lone registered CVM breeder in Massachusetts.

Generally, male lambs are sold at market, and some of each sex are sold for breeding. The school also sells their wool and turns the business transaction into an agri-business lesson.

Lambs are birthed in both spring and fall, so a new crop of students can learn from the experience each semester.

More than three years ago, Blanchette traveled to Maine to purchase the school’s first three Romeldale/CVM yearling ewes — Madge, Suzie Q and Gabby. Faculty later purchased a CVM ram from the Swiss Village Foundation, a private foundation based in Newport, R.I.

Madge was Maverick’s mother.

“Basically, the reason why we went about getting them is to teach our students about breed preservation,” Blanchette said. “There are some breeds out there that need our help.”